To fully participate in the union, you must be a member in good standing. Being a member in good standing gives you a say in how your union is run. Only members in good standing can attend and vote at union meetings, run for elected union positions, vote in union elections or serve as delegates to union events.
How it works: your union and you
Unions represent employees whose positions are covered by a collective agreement.
Collective agreements govern employees’ wages, benefits and working conditions.
The union negotiates collective agreements with the employer and represents employees when the collective agreement has been violated.
If you work in a unionized environment, you have to pay union dues. These dues go to the union to support its work. Your employer automatically sends your dues to the union.
The union represents all employees covered by a collective agreement. However, you must become a member in good standing to fully participate in union activities.
Members in good standing determine our union’s actions and priorities. Our union is strengthened by the full participation of all workers.
Becoming a member in good standing
Here’s what you have to do to become a member in good standing:
- Complete and sign an application for membership form. Note: you can now sign the application for membership form electronically using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Local unions may require an initiation fee. If required, the amount must be laid out in your Local bylaws, and you must pay this fee to become a member in good standing.
- Submit the completed application and initiation fee, if applicable, to your Local union.
All applications will be made available at the next regular membership meeting. If no objections are raised, then all applicants will be accepted as members in good standing. Once your application has been accepted, you will continue to be a member in good standing as long as you are covered by the collective agreement. There are some exceptional circumstances in which your status can be revoked. These are laid out in the CUPE National Constitution.
There’s power in the union – become a member in good standing today!
